In the field of communications, a variety of cables are implemented to interconnect, e.g., telecommunications equipment, data equipment, and the like. Cables generally differ in the type of plug utilized for electrically connecting the cable to the respective jack. As is known by those of ordinary skill in the art, registered jack (RJ) style plugs typically include a plug housing and a plurality of contacts for making an electrical connection to the contacts of a respective jack.
RJ style plugs are generally capable of making an electrical connection to a jack having bent cantilever and reverse cantilever style modular wire contacts when they are fabricated with metallic blade contacts. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B (prior art), RJ plugs 10 generally include a plug housing 12 and a latch 14 for detachably securing the plug 10 within a jack 30. The plug housing 12 generally receives a cable 16 which includes a plurality of internal wires 18 electrically connected to larger conductive contacts 20. The complementary jack 30 generally defines a cavity for receiving the RJ plug 10 and further includes a base 32 and a rear wall 34 for supporting wire contacts 36.
FIG. 1A illustrates modular wire contacts 36 of jack 30 in a reverse cantilever configuration and FIG. 1B illustrates modular wire contacts 36 of jack 30 in a bent cantilever configuration. As is known in the industry, when an RJ plug 10 is inserted into an appropriate jack 30, an electrical connection is created due to contact and/or mating of the conductive contacts 20 of the RJ plug 10 and the wire contacts 36 of the jack 30. In particular, as can be seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the large conductive contacts 20 of RJ plugs 10 allow such RJ plugs 10 to be inserted into a jack 30 having either a bent cantilever or a reverse cantilever configuration of the modular wire contacts 36 when the modular wire contacts 36 are metallic blade contacts, while maintaining the electrical connection between the RJ plug 10 and the jack 30.
FIG. 1C (prior art) illustrates a typical RJ plug 40 which includes an integrated printed circuit board (PCB) 50. In particular, the RJ plug 40 includes a plug housing 42 and a latch 44. The housing 42 includes a cavity for receiving a cable 46 with a plurality of internal wires 56 which are electrically connected to an inserted module 48 and the PCB 50 by insulation-displacement connectors (IDCs) 54. In general, PCB 50 includes single surface conductive contacts 52 located along a single surface of the PCB 50. Typically, a PCB-integrated RJ plug 40 is only capable of making an electrical connection with a reverse cantilever style jack 30, unless extended metallic blade structures for the contacts are incorporated. Thus, as can be seen from FIG. 1C, a PCB-integrated RJ plug 40 inserted into a jack 30 having bent cantilever wire contacts 36 cannot create an electrical connection because the single surface conductive contacts 52 of RJ plug 40 do not mate with the bent cantilever wire contacts 36 of jack 30. The lack of compatibility between PCB-integrated RJ plugs 40 and jacks 30 having bent cantilever wire contacts 36 is disadvantageous for several reasons, e.g., such incompatibility results in the need for an increased amount of cables for making desired electrical connection between devices in communication systems, an increased cost for maintaining communication systems, and/or increased complexity in effectuating the installation of communication systems.
Thus, a need exists for PCB-integrated plug assemblies which are compatible with a variety of jack configurations, including jacks having bent cantilever and reverse cantilever wire contacts. These and other needs are addressed by the assemblies, systems and methods of the present disclosure.